Elkhart summer camp gives middle schoolers a taste of a career

Kids around the area are heading to summer camp for fun and relaxation away from school.

In Elkhart, hundreds of middle school students are taking part in a "career" summer camp.

It's designed to help them see what type of career they might want to get into.

The summer camp program is being held at the Elkhart Career Center this week. Hundreds of middle school students from the Elkhart school system are taking part.

They will rotate through and learn about the 28 program career pathways that are taught there. The programs range from public safety, culinary arts, cosmetology, transportation, photography, welding and health occupations.

"They can see what it takes, what is their interests. What is really, would be something that they feel like they would want to do as an adult. And this is a great opportunity to do so," said Career Center Director David Benak.

They can take those classes when they are in high school.

"A lot of our programs, our students will have a chance to get an Associate Degree or Bachelor’s Degree, but they can get that entry level job from here," Benak said.

Kourtney Boode, from West Side Middle School, wants to make the most of it.

"It's a good thing because we can be able to know what we want to do later in life, instead of kind of rushing, like in 11th and 12th grade. And we can kind of get an idea of what we want to be when we are older," Boode said.

Some have a pretty good idea of what that career could be

"Wel,l it's showing me that if I want to do photography, it will eventually show me how much I have to go through, what you have to go through to become a photographer," said Northside Middle School student Jenna Collins.

Sean Wood may be leaning to the automotive field.

"It just shows the opportunities you have by being able to work on the cars and know how to do that and then what jobs you can then get," Wood said.